A community in transition

Freedmen's Town, an area settled by emancipated slaves, is trying to reconcile progress with preserving its history By LORI RODRIGUEZ Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle On Sundays in what was once called Freedmen's Town, blacks across Houston stream into churches that have held sway since the Civil War. Ladies wear hats. Worshippers belt out hymns. Preachers tend flocks that have dwindled in size if not spirit. One parish is down to eight congregants. Emancipated slaves settled this area, now prime real estate west of downtown, and built a thriving, self-contained community. But its face has changed. Today, the neighborhood is no longer all black. But even with a steady influx of middle-class white residents, neither will it totally gentrify. After decades of passionate political debate, a new Fourth Ward identity is emerging. Some think the change is for the good. Others feel a loss. Everyone knows it's inevitable. Full Story: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3036101